Singapore Day draws criticism in Australia

Update at 10.28pm: Foreign guests can attend Singapore Day but admission is by ticket: Organiser

Singapore Day is a pre-registered event for Singaporeans and their families, and admission is by ticket, the organiser said on Tuesday, after an Australian man claimed that he and his father were turned away from the event in Sydney because they were Caucasian.

"Admission is by ticket for purposes of crowd control and catering. These are indicated on our website." said a spokesman for the Overseas Singaporean Unit (OSU) under the Prime Minister's Office.

"Singaporeans could bring along a guest who might be non-Singaporean, and also attend with family members who are non-Singaporeans as a family. Singapore Day 2013 was attended by Singaporeans, their family members and friends, of all races."

Singapore Day draws criticism in Australia

SINGAPORE - Some Australians complained about being barred from the event, according to a report in the Australian newspaper The Telegraph on Tuesday.

Hi all, to clarify some the points raised today: Singapore Day brings a slice of home to Singaporeans abroad to keep them emotionally connected to Singapore. It is a pre-registered event for Singaporeans and their families. Admission is by ticket for purposes of crowd control and catering. These are indicated on our website. Singaporeans could also bring along a friend who might be non-Singaporean, and also attend with family members who are not Singaporean. Singapore Day was attended by Singaporeans, their family members and friends, of all races.

More about Singapore Day

Singapore Day is a signature event organised by the Overseas Singaporean Unit to engage Overseas Singaporeans. It aims to keep Overseas Singaporeans abreast of the latest developments in the various aspects of life in Singapore and to galvanise the Overseas Singaporeans community through their participation in Singapore Day.